Transversing vertical venetian blind



R. J. CAYTDN Sept. 26, 1967 TRANSVERSING VERTICAL VENETIAN BLIND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1966 R. J. CAYTON Sept. 26, 1967 TRANSVERSING VERTICAL VENETIAN BLIND 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1966 INVENTOR. 05667 J 6/41 75 United States Patent 3 343,588 TRANSVERSING VERTICAL VENETIAN BLIND Robert J. Cayton, Pacific Palisades, Califi, assignor to Louverdrape, Inc., Santa Monica, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Feb. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 525,705 6 Claims. (Cl. 160176) This invention relates to a blind and more particularly to a transversing vertical Venetian blind having an improved construction.

In numerous instances where vertical Venetian blinds are used, it is desirable that the slats be bunched compactly when the slats of the blind are moved to a retracted position to facilitate access to an adjacent window, such as vertically pivoted windows, for cleaning of the window, and the like. The usual traversing vertical Venetian blind includes a plurality of trolleys or trucks which ride upon one or more rails or rods, the trucks serving to carry vertically hand louvers or slats. Typically, the trucks are interconnected by spacing means which serve to position the trucks in a substantially equally spaced relationship when the blind is traversed across the window. These trucks, of necessity, have a finite Width which, when the slats of the blind are moved to a retracted position determine the compactness of the bunched trucks and slats. These trucks carry suitable gearing means whereby rotation of the rod or rods upon which the trucks are supported cause the slats to be rotated in unison. Thus, when the slats are traversed across a window the slats may be rotated between closed and open positions to respectively restrict or admit light.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved vertical Venetian blind mechanism and improved operating means therefor.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an improved vertical Venetian blind mechanism in which groups of trucks are vertically displaced from each other to enable compact bunching of slats when they are retracted, and having improved operating means for rotating all slats in unison.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved Venetian blind construction which enables the blind to be retracted with the slats thereof compact, and improved operating means for causing the slats to be rotated together.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent upon considering the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partially cutaway illustrating a vertical Venetian blind mechanism according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view taken along a line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along a line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along a line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along a line 55 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken along a FIGURE 11 is a partial perspective view of a truck,-

a carriage and rods of the blind mechanism; and

Patented Sept. 26, 1967 "Ice FIGURE 12 is a partial elevational view of a modification of the mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, an improved transversing vertical blind is provided including a channel 10 which may be made of extruded aluminum, or the like, and which may be positioned within a window frame. A pair of fluted tracks or rods 11 and 12 are supported in difierent planes, one above the other, within the channel 10. An operating member or means 13 is retained in one end of the channel and end caps 14 and 15 are retained in the other end of the channel. A plurality of trucks 16 and 17 are arranged on the respective rods 11 and 12. Hooks 18 and 19 carried by the respective trucks 16 and 17 in a manner which will be described subsequently for supporting vertically disposed louvers or slats 20 and 21 (note FIGURE 10). The books 18 extending from the trucks 16 are longer than the hooks 19 so that the ends of all hooks extend downwardly to a common level. Thus, a set of trucks 16 is positioned on the upper rod 11 and a set 17 poistioned on the lower rod 12 with the respective hooks 18 and 19 extending downwardly to carry slats 2t) and 21.

As will appear subsequently, the trucks 16 and 17 may be moved along the rods 11 and 12 to a retracted or bunched position or to a traversed position with the trucks spaced across the blind, and the hooks 18 and 19 may be rotated about vertical axes to vary the coverage of an associated window by the slats 20 and 21 of the blind. FIGURE 1 illustrates the blind in a retracted position with the trucks 16 and 17 at one end thereof with the slats bunched in a substantially non-interfering position with respect to the associated window. FIGURE 10 illustrates the trucks in a traversed position with the slats appropriately spaced across the window, but with the slats rotated to an open position to emit light. It will be appreciated that if the trucks 16 and 17 were supported upon a common axis, they would take up substantially more room when in a bunched position as shown in FIGURE 1 and impair the operation of an associated window.

The trucks 16 and 17 are traversed by means of a carriage 25 (note FIGURES 1, 8 and 11) which is traversed or moved to and fro by means of a ball 26 affixed to a cord 27 which in turn is arranged over a pulley 28 in the end cap 15 and pulleys 29 and 30 (note FIGURE 2) in the member 13. The channel 19 includes upper internal lips 32 and 33 and lower internal lips 34 and 35 upon which the respective trucks 16 and 17 ride. A truck 36 may be used for the upper portion of the carriage 25, and each of the trucks 16, 17 and 36 may be provided with rollers or wheels 37 thru 42 to faclitate movement of the trucks along the lips 32 through 35. A lower member 45 of the carriage 25 is secured to the upper member 36 thereof by means of a spacer 46 and screws 47 and 48.

Each of the trucks 16 and 17 is provided with a worm drive arrangement (note FIGURE 7) including a worm 50 and a gear 51 for rotating a hook 18 or 19. The 'Worm 50 includes a plurality of internal projections 52 which project or key into grooves 53 in each of the rods 11 and 12. The worm 50 is thus free to move longitudinally along the rod, but rotation of the rod rotates the worm 50 which in turn rotates the gear 51. The gear 51 includes a slot therethrough through which an end 54 of a book 18 or 19 may be passed and bent to secure the hook to the gear. Upon rotation of the gear 51, the hook 19 and attached louver or slat likewise is rotated.

Each of the trucks 16 and 17 may be constructed alike to simplify manufacture thereof, and each includes apertures 56 and 57 (note FIGURE 3). The cord 27 passes through the aperture 57 in the lower trucks 17. Likewise, the carriage 25 includes an aperture 58 through which the cord 27 may pass. The carriage 25 also includes apertures 59 and 60 for enabling the carriage to freely move back and forth along the respective rods 11 and 12. The ball 26, or any other suitable retaining means, is applied onto the cord 26 and secured thereto, and retained within a cavity 62 in the lower member 45 of the carriage 25 to move the carriage 25 back and forth as the cord 27 is moved. A plurality of spacers in the form of strips 63 and 64 (note FIGURES 1 and 11) are coupled with slots in the respective trucks 16 and 17 and in the carriage 25 for properly positioning the trucks along the blind mechanism when closed as shown in FIG- URE 10. Preferably, the strips 63 and 64 are made of thin resilient metal, and the trucks 16 and 17 and the carriage 25 are formed of a suitable plastic, such as nylon.

The operating member 13 includes a pair of sprockets 70 and 71 coupled to the ends of respective rods 11 and 12. These sprockets may be molded from plastic and each includes a plurality of spaced ribs 72 for engaging balls 73 of a chain 74. The member 13 essentially includes a plate 75 having a flange 76 extending therefrom which may be press-fit into either end of the channel 10. A substantially U-shaped guide wall serving as an elongated sprocket cover extends from the plate 75, and the interior surface thereof is spaced from the periphery of the sprockets 70 and 71 to retain the chain 74 in engagement with the sprockets and to ensure that both of the sprockets 70 and 71 rotate in unison. It will be appreciated that rotation of the sprockets 70 and 71 rotates respective rods 11 and 12, and that inasmuch as this action controls the rotation of the hooks and slats, the rods 11 and 21 rotate together. The end caps 14 and 15 include respective apertures 80 and 81 into which the other ends of the respective rods 11 and 12 extend and may freely rotate. The caps 14 and 15 also may include respective flanges 82, 83 and 84, 85 which may be press-fit into the end of the channel 10. The member 13 and caps 14 and 15 may be made of plastic.

Clips 88 and 89 (note FIGURES 6 and may be positioned on the respective rods 11 and 12 adjacent the trucks 16 and 17 which are adjacent an end of the blind mechanism to restrict the movement of these respective trucks when the trucks are traversed, that is, moved along the rods 11 and 12. Thus, the clips 88 and 89 restrict the movement of the trucks nearest the end and allow the trucks nearest the center of the mechanism to be moved and spread apart in a sequential fashion beginning with the trucks in the middle of the blind, rather than beginning with the trucks at the edge of the blind to ensure proper spacing of the trucks and slats when they are traversed across the window.

FIGURE 12 illustrates an alternative driving arrangement for the rods 11 and 13 and includes a driving member 94 which may be molded out of a plastic material. The member 94 has a plate 95 for supporting gears 96 and 97 which are keyed, or otherwise afiixed, to respective rods 11 and 12. An idler gear 98 couples the gears 96 and 97 to enable the shafts 11 and 12 to rotate together in the same direction. The gear 97 is coupled to a sprocket 90 having the chain 74 arranged thereon. A guide wall 100 projects from the plate 95 to retain the chain 74 in engagement with the sprocket 99. The sprocket 99 may be similar to the sprockets 70 and 71. a

It will be appreciated that the blind mechanism shown and described herein may be mounted adjacent a window with the slats 20 and 21 hanging vertically. The carriage 25 is moved and engages the adjacent truck 17 and the hook 18 of the adjacent truck 16, and so forth, thereby moving all of the trucks to the retracted position (FIG- URE 1) in which the trucks and slats are bunched together. Upon movement of the carriage 25 in an opposite direction (to the right as shown in FIGURES 1 and 10), the trucks successively are moved to a traversed position across the window because they are interconnected by the space s p i1 3 and 64.

If desired, a similar mechanism may be mounted at the lower portion of the window with the lower ends of the slats being hooked thereto in a similar manner. In this event, it is preferable to utilize spring biased hooks, which are well known to those skilled in the art, for retaining the slats under appropriate tension. Also, if a mechanism is employed at the lower portion of the window, the rods of both the upper and lower mechanisms may be geared together to insure that the slats rotate in unison.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be readily apparent that alterations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention and such alterations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a blind of the type-having series of rotatable vertically extending louvers, the combination of I a single channel member,

a plurality of substantially parallel rod members positioned within said channel member, said rod members being spaced substantially one above the other,

a plurality of trunk means mounted on each of said rod members for supporting louvers, each of said trunk means having motion translating means for rotating said louvers in response to rotation of respective rod members, and

operating means coupled with an end of said channel member, said operating means including sprocket means coupled with said rod members to impart rotation to said rod members, said operating means including a substantially U-shaped guide means extending therefrom and having an interior wall for retaining flexible motion imparting means in engagement with said sprocket means to ensure rotation of all of said rod members in unison as said motion imparting means is moved.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein two rod members are retained horizontally within said channel member, one vertically disposed above the other, and

first and second groups of said plurality of trunk means are respectively mounted on said two rod members.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said sprocket means includes first and second sprockets respectively coupled with said two rod members, and said guide means includes a wall extending from said driving means, the interior surface of said wall retaining said chain in engagement with both of said sprockets to ensure rotation of said sprockets in unison as said chain is moved.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein hook means are coupled with the motion translating means of each of said truck means, the hook means coupled with the motion translating means of the upper group of truck means being longer than the hook means coupled with the lower group of truck means enabling an end of all of said hook means to extend to a common level.

5. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said sprocket means includes first and second gears respectively coupled with said two rod members, an idler gear intercoupling said first and second gears, and a sprocket coupled with one of said first and second gears, said guide means including a wall extending from said driving means, the interior surface of said wall retaining said chain in engagement With said sprocket.

6. In a blind of the type having a series of rotatable vertically extending louvers, the combination of a single channel member,

first and second grooved rod members positioned substantially horizontally one above the other in said channel member,

a plurality of truck means mounted on each of said 5 6 rod members for supporting louvers, each of said References Cited $11 1 i0i i$ ii fiia tfifi gi if 22' UNITED STATES PATENTS five f members P p 1,351,229 8/1920 Bombelli 160199 X means interconnecting said truck means for spacing said 5 2199 3 5 7/1961 Taylor 160*473 truck means along said rod members when said truck 3,038,534 6/1962 Cayton 160 173 means are traversed, 3,251,400 5/1966 Krull 160196 operatin means positioned at an end of said channel memb er, said operating means including a sprocket FOREIGN PATENTS coupled with each of said rod members to impart 10 1,034,536 9 a erotation to said rod members, said operating means 556,300 2/1957 yincluding an elongated and substantially Ushaped sprocket cover to retain a chain in engagement with DAVID WILLIAMOWSKY P Exammersaid sprockets to ensure rotation of both of said rod CAUN, Assistant Examiner members in unison as said chain is moved, and 15 hook members coupled with each of said truck means and extending therefrom to a common level. 

1. IN A BLIND OF THE TYPE HAVING SERIES OF ROTATABLE VERTICALLY EXTENDING LOUVERS, THE COMBINATION OF A SINGLE CHANNEL MEMBERR, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROD MEMBERS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CHANNEL MEMBER, SAID ROD MEMBERS BEING SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, A PLURALITY OF TRUNK MEANS MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID ROD MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING LOUVERS, EACH OF SAID TRUNK MEANS HAVING MOTION TRANSLATING MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID LOUVERS IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF RESPECTIVE ROD MEMBERRS, AND OPERATING MEANS COUPLED WITH AN END OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBER, SAID OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING SPROCKET MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID ROD MEMBERS TO IMPART ROTATION TO SAID ROD MEMBERS, SAID OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING THEREFROM AND HAVING AN INTERIOR WALL FOR RETAINING FLEXIBLE MOTION IMPARTING MEANS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPROCKET MEANS TO ENSURE ROTATION OF ALL OF SAID ROD MEMBERS IN UNISON AS SAID MOTION IMPARTING MEANS IS MOVED. 